For this step of the CLUE project I decided to interview two people who are majoring in accounting. I am also an accounting major, but I have also taken three years of accounting in high school. I've noticed that a lot of kids decide to major in accounting without ever having taken a class before. Therefore, I decided that the question I want to ask for this research project is "What makes students decide to major in accounting?" I interviewed two female accounting students; one that has taken a high school level accounting course, Clare, and one that hasn't, Madison. I asked them both the same questions. Clare: 1. Did you take an accounting course in high school? -Yes. 2. What kind and for how long? -Accounting 1 which was basically intro to accounting, and only for one year, my senior year. 3. Do you find accounting to be hard now that you are majoring in it in college? -Not really, it's kind of common sense, I feel like everyone should be able to do what we've done so far in the class that all freshman accounting students are currently enrolled in. 4. How much time do you find yourself studying per week? - Right now the stuffs pretty easy so I study around four hours per week, but I could probably study a little more than I do. 5. What do you want to do with your degree once you finish? -I know that I want to get my CPA and I'm thinking about declaring a concentration in Fraud Examination because I like the business aspect of accounting but I'm also interested in criminal justice. 6. What made you decide you wanted to major in accounting, in general? -The classes in high school definitely influenced my decision. Because of that I was able to go to an event called Accounting Career Day where I was able to talk to accountants about their jobs and get to know a little bit more about what it's actually all about, like that it's flexible for women who have children, you can always go back and find a job when you're ready. I also realized from taking the classes that I enjoy doing it and learning about it. Plus the job opportunities are great for accountants. Madison: 1. Did you take an accounting course in high school? -No. 2. What kind and for how long? -Skipped because she didn't take them. 3. Do you find accounting to be hard now that you are majoring in it in college? -Yes! 4. How much time do you find yourself studying per week? - probably between four and six hours per week. 5. What do you want to do with your degree once you finish? - I've heard about the different types a little bit but I don't really know what I want to do with it yet. However, I'm thinking I will probably get my CPA and I might minor in Fraud too. 6. What made you decide you wanted to major in accounting, in general? - Honestly? Jobs. I like math, so I was originally majoring in math when I applied, but after coming on a tour I looked into accounting when they had their meeting and I decided I wanted to do that because it's more specific than just math and the job opportunities are endless. By doing these interviews, I was able to see that the common reason for people to major in accounting is the job opportunities that they will have upon graduation. It's true that accounting is a very dependable job, however that doesn't meant that anyone is cut out to do it. I found that kids that have a background knowledge in accounting coming in tend to do better with it than kids that decide to do it solely based on job availability; Clare finds the information she's learning to be easy while Madison is having trouble with the simplest aspects of accounting that we are all learning now to prepare us for the harder information that is to come.
I interviewed two female accounting students; one that has taken a high school level accounting course, Clare, and one that hasn't, Madison. I asked them both the same questions.
Clare:
1. Did you take an accounting course in high school?
-Yes.
2. What kind and for how long?
-Accounting 1 which was basically intro to accounting, and only for one year, my senior year.
3. Do you find accounting to be hard now that you are majoring in it in college?
-Not really, it's kind of common sense, I feel like everyone should be able to do what we've done so far in the class that all freshman accounting students are currently enrolled in.
4. How much time do you find yourself studying per week?
- Right now the stuffs pretty easy so I study around four hours per week, but I could probably study a little more than I do.
5. What do you want to do with your degree once you finish?
-I know that I want to get my CPA and I'm thinking about declaring a concentration in Fraud Examination because I like the business aspect of accounting but I'm also interested in criminal justice.
6. What made you decide you wanted to major in accounting, in general?
-The classes in high school definitely influenced my decision. Because of that I was able to go to an event called Accounting Career Day where I was able to talk to accountants about their jobs and get to know a little bit more about what it's actually all about, like that it's flexible for women who have children, you can always go back and find a job when you're ready. I also realized from taking the classes that I enjoy doing it and learning about it. Plus the job opportunities are great for accountants.
Madison:
1. Did you take an accounting course in high school?
-No.
2. What kind and for how long?
-Skipped because she didn't take them.
3. Do you find accounting to be hard now that you are majoring in it in college?
-Yes!
4. How much time do you find yourself studying per week?
- probably between four and six hours per week.
5. What do you want to do with your degree once you finish?
- I've heard about the different types a little bit but I don't really know what I want to do with it yet. However, I'm thinking I will probably get my CPA and I might minor in Fraud too.
6. What made you decide you wanted to major in accounting, in general?
- Honestly? Jobs. I like math, so I was originally majoring in math when I applied, but after coming on a tour I looked into accounting when they had their meeting and I decided I wanted to do that because it's more specific than just math and the job opportunities are endless.
By doing these interviews, I was able to see that the common reason for people to major in accounting is the job opportunities that they will have upon graduation. It's true that accounting is a very dependable job, however that doesn't meant that anyone is cut out to do it. I found that kids that have a background knowledge in accounting coming in tend to do better with it than kids that decide to do it solely based on job availability; Clare finds the information she's learning to be easy while Madison is having trouble with the simplest aspects of accounting that we are all learning now to prepare us for the harder information that is to come.